Electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines



Aug. 30, 1932.

H. A. MITCHELL 1,875,176

ELECTRIC FUEL WARNER FOR INTERNAL COuBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 26, 1930 l Elii} a 2 z 27 31 2a 50 Ignfl 27 9A 27 3 35 4a Fg 5 f N VEN TOE r 'fc/ze/l Patented Aug. 30, 1932 HENRY ALBERT MITCHELL, OF WOOLEE, ONTARIO, CANADA ELECTRIC FUEL WARNER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed April 28,

This present invention relates to new and useful improvements in an electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines.

The primary object of the invention resides in the provision of an electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines which will facilitate quick starting of operation of the engine in low temperatures. Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines which will make it possible to readily start the internal combustion engine in the coldest weather.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines by means of which a small auxiliary supply of fuel may be readily heated intake manifold to assure quick combustion of the fuel for instant starting of the eng1ne.

The invention has for a still further object the provision of an electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines which is of extremely simple and inexpensive construction and operation and may be readily controlled by the operator from the instrument board.

- The invention has for a still further object the provision of an electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines which is of such simple type and arrangement that it may be readily incorporated in motor vehicles and the like without material alterations in the same either when building the motor vehicles, trucks, etc., or after completion of the same.

To' the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become apparent as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and before being fed to the t 1980. Serial No. 447,616.

can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawing forming a part of this disclosure, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the complete structure, showing the application of the same to the conventional motor vehicles now in general use;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the plane of line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical section through the auxiliary fuel supply tank, showing a slightly modified form of the invenion;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a further modified form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is an elevation of the form of the invention shown in Figure 4.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, it will be noted that the auxiliary fuel supply tank 6 is designed for convenient location be: tween the instrument board 7 and the intake manifold 8 of the motor vehicle engine. A cover 9 is provided for the tank 6 and a small discharge tube 10 depends from the bottom of the tank 6 with its lower end threaded in the upstanding branch 11 of a substantially T-shaped pipe connection 12, from one end of which extends the fuel feed tube 13 leading to the engine intake manifold 8, the opso posite ends of said tube 13 being threaded in the pipe connection 12 and the side of the intake manifold 8, respectively. A needle valve 14 is adjustably threaded in the other end of the pipe connection 12 with its point 15 8-5 working against and adjustable in respect to the valve seat 16 in the pipe connection 12.

A small reservoir or pocket 17 is provided in the centre of the pipe connection 12 and appropriate packing 18 and a cap 19 are proends on the depending ends of the binding and has its upper edge eng'a vided on the end of the pipe connection12 through which the needle Valve 14 operates.

' A universal joint connection is provided between the outer end of the stemor shank of the needle valve 14 and the needle valve adjusting rod 21 which is 'rotatably mounted through the instrument board 7 and provided witha knurled. nut 22 or the like on its free extremity to provide for easy turning of the adjusting rod 21 by the operator. A switch 23 is also provided on the instrument board ,7 for closing a circuit through the current conducting wires 24, oneof which is connected with the storage battery 25 of the.

motor vehicle or any other; appropriate 7 source of electrical energy. The other wire 24 and a wire26 leading from the source of electrical energy'25 connect with the pair of binding posts 27 extended through and insulated from the wall of the auxiliary fuel supplytank 6 and having connected on their inner ends the terminals" of the electrical V heating coil28 resting in and coiled around the bottom ofthe-tank 6. An insulating disk 29 is positioned in the bottom of the tankG and provided with an upturned annular flange 30 engagingthe-inner wall of the tank 6,wh-ile a central opening 31 is also provided in: tlieinsulating disc 29 registeringwithand of greater diameter than'the bore of the small discharge tube 10 of'said tank 6. It is therefore evident that the -electrical heating coil 28 is thoroughly insulated from the tank 6 by the disk29 without the latter interfering in any manner with free discharge of the fuel from the tank 6. v

In the modified form of the invention disa closed in Figure 3, the electrical heating coil posts 2% extended through the cover 9?) for the body of the tank 67).. The body of the tank 6 is in the form of a cylinder constructed from gla'ssor other appropriate material 3 ged in an annular groove 33 provided in the'underv face of the cover 9?) while'the lower edge of the body of the tank 65 rests in a similar annular groove 34 provided in the upper faceof the solid bottom 35 for the tank body. Theelectric heating coil '28?) occupies a position in the body of the tankfib just above the solid bottom 35 for the tank body and the latter has a transverse enlargement 36 on its under face with a threaded extended end 37 for connection with the fuel feed tube 13 leading to the engine intake manifold 8, similar to the other ,forms of the invention disclosed. in this application; central discharge opening 38 is provided in the solid bottom 35 connecting with the longitudinal passage 39 of smaller diameter extending from the opening 38 through the threaded extended end 37 of the enlargement 36. A. needle valve 40 is threaded in the other end of the enlargement 36 with its point 41 adjustable with respect to the valve seat 42 provided therefor in the inner end of thepassage 39, at its connection with theopening 38. A pairof spring clamp'members 42a aremounted at their lower ends on gears 43 extended radially from the edge of the solid bottom 35 for the body of the tank 6b and providedwith angularly bent free ends 44 which are adapted to be swung over the edge of the cover 9?) to firmly clamp the cover 9b on the-cylindrical body of the tank 6?) and retain both the cover 9?) and the body of the tank 6?; firmly on the solid bottom 35 for the tank body. These spring clamp members 42amay be readily engaged overthe cover 96 or withdrawn therefrom, as desired. It is also to be notedthat the spring clamp members 42a are of substantially elongated link formso as-to providefor a firm holding of the cover 9b by said spring clamp members 42%...

' As the construction of'the device has thus been" described in'deta'il," brief referenceis now had to itsuse and mod-us operandi :WVhen use of the fuel from thetankG, 6a or 6?) .is not required, the switch 23 is left open while the needle valve 14 is closed firmly against the valve seatlti. Should there be any dimculty in-starting the operation of the-engine, due to a low atmosphere of temperature or a cold engine, it is simply necessaryto close the switch. 23 and open the needle'valve 14 by means of the knob 22 on the rod 21. This will result in-quick heating of the small amount of fuel in the tank 6 by the electrical heating coil 28, 28a or 28?) anda free flowing of the fuel through the tube 10, pass the needle valve 14 and a by way of the tube 13, to. the engine intake manifold 8. This heated fuel maybe readily. ignited within the engine cylinder to effect quick starting there of. "When the enginehas been started in this manner, the operation may be continued in the usual manner from the regular fuel supply and the needle valve 14 closed and the switch 23 againgopened to break the circuit through the. electrical heating coil 28, 28a.

or 287).; 1 i

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be manifest that an electric fuel warmer for internalcomhustion engines is provided that will fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a device but as many changes could he made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims with out departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines including an auxiliary fuel tank with the top and bottom thereof formed separate from the body of said tank; means carried by the bottom for removable engagement over the top of the tank to firmly clamp together said bottom, top and body of the tank and form liquid tight connections therebetween; binding posts depending through said cover of the tank; an electric heating coil extended between the depending ends of said binding posts and completely submerged in the liquid content of the body of said tank adjacent the bottom thereof; said bottom of the tank being solid and having a transverse extension on its under face with a threaded end projecting for connection with the fuel feed pipe leadin to the intake manifold of the engine; a nee le valve adjustable in said transverse extension of the body bottom and normally closed against the valve seat in the longitudinal fuel passage through said extension; a source of electrical energy; electrical connections between said source of electrical energy and a binding post to complete a circuit through the same and through said electric heating coil; and a control switch for said circuit adjacent to the controlling means for said needle valve.

2. An electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines including an auxiliary fuel tank; an insulating disc within said auxiliary fuel tank and resting on the bottom thereof; said insulating disc having a central opening registering with the bore of the discharge tube of said auxiliary fuel tank; said insulating disc having an annular upstanding flange engaging the inner wall of said auxiliary fuel tank; a heating coil resting on said insulating disc; terminal binding posts connected with the ends of said coil and extended through the flange of said insulating disc and through the wall of said tank; current conducting wires connecting with said binding posts and with a source of electrical energy; and a control switch in the path of one of said current conducting wires to control the current through said electric heating coil.

3. An electric fuel warmer for internal combustion engines including an auxiliary fuel tank; a removable cover for said auxiliary fuel tank; binding posts carried by said HENRY ALBERT MITCHELL. [1 5.] 

